This guest post is written by Tyler O’Rear. He desires for his story to help others recognize there is still hope and still time. I had been awake for four nights indulging in a mass purge of my flesh. I was stressed, and this was the best way I knew how to deal with it. I...

This is part of a series about Sonya, a Filipina woman who went from slave to liberator. Make sure to read parts one, two, and three first. The colorful pillow Sonya* held in her lap was now soaked in the tears she had shed as she shared her story. The tissues in her hands...

This is part of a series about Sonya, a Filipina woman who went from slave to liberator. Make sure to read part one and part two first. Sonya quieted as I held her, exhausted from crying, she took a deep breath that gave her the resolve to go on. In the hot room she continued to tell...

This is part of a series about Sonya*, a Filipina woman who went from slave to liberator. Read part one of her story here. In the hot, humid room a fan made a feeble attempt to cool us down. All of us had sweat pouring from our brow as we sat on floor mattresses. As...

I first met Sonya* at the 2014 Girl’s Getaway. She was among a blur of faces that week, girls and women who had been offered a week of rest and relaxation in Puerto Galera far from the blaring music and flashing lights where they spent most of their nights in the bars, dancing for...

“Everything in this town is expensive except for the girls.” Kanda* didn’t even blink as she said this. She just looked at me and smiled, but I saw past her smile as she glanced over at her friend who was leaving with an elderly white man. Most women here would never dare to say...

So, I have this crazy idea. It’s the idea that change is possible. Most of you would agree with that, but I wonder how many of us would act in a way that demonstrates it. Too often I hear, “Oh, that’s just how he is…” or “You know them, they’ll never change..” and I hate...

I’ve met some of the most incredible women, but out of all them mothers stand out as the most beautiful to me, not because of the way they look, but because of the way they live. I believe mothers deserve our thanks, especially because most of the millions of things mothers do out of love...

The other day, I learned that my friend was murdered. I don’t mean to say it so matter of factly. It is just that the most horrible thing that could have happened to her did, and I don’t really know what to do about it. The day was a confusion of shock and normalcy. After I...

My heart is breaking today. I was near tears earlier after reading a message from a friend I made in Nepal, begging me to send money to her so her family could eat. They have just lost their house completely after the earthquake. Her parents both have broken bones and they cannot afford food. I...